Sounding toy



Aug. 27, 1929. F. R. SHERMAN SOUNDING TOY Filed Aug. 30, 1928 uff 7 M WYMy ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK B. SHERMAN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SOUNDING- TOY.

Application filed August 30, 1928.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to an improvedhollow toy of elastic material.

An object of my invention is to provide a hollow toy of elastic materialarranged to retain air substantially indefinitely therein. Anotherobject is to provide a hollow toy of elastic material having a pluralityof compartments or balloon portions so arranged that a compartment maybe caused to protrude or bulge in a desired manner. Another object is toprovide a shield to protect a noise device in a hollow toy from coatingcompounds within the toy. A further object is to provide an improvedhollow rubber doll provided with a noise device.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart from the disclosures herein made and from the accompanying drawingwherein: Y

Figure l is a front elevational view of a toy contemplated by myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the noisedevice showing the lining of fluid-sealing compound and the protectiveshield surrounding the noise device;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the head of the doll. innormal inflated position, the cap and collar being removed, and theconstriction at the upper end of the toy being shown in exaggeratedoffset position; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the head of the doll in expandedposition.

As an embodiment of my invention l have illustrated a doll 1 formed ofelastic material, such as the thin rubber tube 2 of substantiallyuniform thickness. The tube 2 is shown as constricted intermediate itsends to form the upper and lower balloon portions 3 and 4 which may, forconvenience, be termed the head portion and body portion, respectively.rThe balloon portions 3 and 4 may, of course, be of desired relativesize and shape.

ln order to prevent leakage of air or other fluid medium used forinllation out through the walls of the balloon portions 3 and 4, theinside of the rubber or elastic material 2 is covered with a suitablefluid-sealing compound 5 such, for example, as a mixture of flour andmolasses, which mixture I have found to be particularly advantageous. Bythis means the air or other fluid within the Serial No. 302,995.

toy is prevented from escaping, and the toy may be retained in inflatedcondition over an indefinite period.

Extending into and connecting the balloon portions 3 and 4 is a sounddevice 6 shown as comprising a hollow wooden cylinder 7the lower end ofwhich is shown as countersunk at 8. Over the lower end is stretched athin strip of rubber 9 to form a reed, which rubber may be secured tothe cylinder 7 by any suitable means, such as the elastic 10. The rubberstrip 9 preferably does not cover the entire opening in the lower end ofthe cylinder 7 whereby air communication between the balloon portions 3and 4 may be maintained. To protectthe rubber strip 9 from the stickysealing compound lining the balloon portions a cardboard or paper tubeor shield l1 is shown surrounding the wooden cylinder 7 and extendingdownwardly well beyond the rubber strip or reed 9. Paper or the like isadvantageous for shield material in that it is somewhat absorbent andprevents the air sealing compound such as flour and molasses fromcreeping over the shield and contacting with the reed to damage thesame. The rubber adjacent the sound device 6 is shown as constricted bythe elastic l2 or other suitable constricting means whereby the onlyiiuid connection between the body portion 4 and head portion 3 isthrough the sound device 6. In manufacture, the rubber tube 2 may, ofcourse, be molded with a constricted portion which is to form the neck,or the constriction may be obtained entirely by the constricting means12.

The sound device 6 as shown is arranged to emit noise when the bodyportion 4 is squeezed and the head portion expanded. It will be obvious,of course, that the sound device 6 might be longitudinally reversed inposition so as to emit noise when the air from the expanded head portionis returning to the body portion 4, or the sound device may be arrangedto emit sound when the air is passing in either direction, both into andout of the upper balloon portion 3. Furthermore, any other suitablesound device may be employed in place of that shown, my invention notbeing limited to any particular form of sound device.

My toy is arranged to permit one side of the head portion to expand morerapidly than the other side thereof when expanded by squeezing the bodyportion. Thus, the upper balloon portion 3 is shown as decorated withthe countenance 13 to form a clown face, the head in expanded positionbeing illustrated in F ig. 3 tesque manne-r. This protrusion on one sideofthe upper balloon portion 3 is accomplished by a simple and uniquemanner of closing the open upper end of the balloon portion 3 afterinflation. Thus, after the balloon portions 3 and 4 are inflated Igather the open upper end of the upper balloon portion so that theportion forming the rear of the head is drawn up to greater extent thanthe por tion forming the face, or, in other words, the portion which isto protrude excessively when the body portion is squeezed. The sealingof the upper end may be accomplished by the elastic 14 or string, or anysuitable constricting means. The knot formed by the constricting means14 is thus slightly to the rearward of the center line of the doll, asshown in exaggerated forni in Fig. 4, and there is thus a greater extentor expansible area of rubber at the side of the head forniing the' facewhereby the face will protrude excessively', as indicated in Fig. 3,when additional air is forced into the head portion, as when the bodyportion 4 is squeezed. I

have found that the rubber forming the nonbulging side of the upperballoon portion need be drawn up only to a slight extent, for exampleone-eighth inch, in order to accomplish the desired result, although itis obvious that the rubber may be drawn up to a greater extent, such asshown in Fig. 4, if desired. By this drawing up, the side of the balloonportion having the greater expansible area will bulge in greatlydisproportionate fashion.

The use of elastic for constricting means 12 and 14 is particularlydesirable in that it tends to exert a continuous non-diminisliingconstraint upon the rubber, so as to prevent, during the life of thetoy, passage of air between the balloon portions other than through thesound device, or to prevent leakage of air out through the end of thetube, as the case may be.

The exterior decoration of the toy may be accomplished in any suitablemanner. By

way of example I have illustrated a conical clown cap 15 secured bysuitable adhesive to the top of the head portion whereby the knot isconcealed. I have further shown a collar 16 encircling the neck portionof the toy, and tie 17 whereby the constricting medium, such as elastic14, is concealed. At the bottom of the body portion 4 I have shown apaper strip 18 secured by suitable adhesive to the body portion 4, saidpaper strip being cut to simulate feet. The body portion may also bedecorated in any suitable manner.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an Vinflated toy which willretain the air or other fluid medium over indeiinite periods.

with the face protrudingfin gro-V It will further be seen that I haveprovided shielding means to protect a noise device within the toy fromdamage by fluid sealing coinpound lining the toy.

It will further be noted that I have provided a unique and simplearrangement whereby, although the head portion of the toy is of uniformthickness, Vone side thereof may be caused to bulge to give a unique andamusing result when the body portion of the toy is squeezed.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing from my in# volition as defined in the appendedclaims.

Vhat I claim is 1. An inflated elastic toy comprising, in combination, apair of inflated balloon portions connected through a reduced sectionpermitting communication of the fluid within said balloon portions, thematerial of one of said Vballoon portions substantially opposite saidconnecting Vsection being gathered and constricted by constrictingAmeans, decoration on one side Vof said constricted balloon portion, saidgathering or constriction being sufficiently offset from alignment withsaid connecting portion away from the decorated side, whereby uponpassage of radditional fluid into said balloon portion said balloonportion will bulge on the decorated side to produce a humorousdistortion of said decoration.

2. A. toy comprising, in combination, a thin-walled rubber tube ofsubstantially uniform thickness and open at one end, a sound devicedisposed within said tube, means constricting said tube about said sounddevice to form a pair of upper and lower balloon portions communicatingthrough said sound device, means constricting and closing the opening atthe upper end of said tube after inflation, decoration applied to oneside of said upper balloon portion, the side of said upper balloonportion opposite the decorated side being drawn up within the upperconstricting means to a greater extent than the decorated side, wherebyupon further inflation of 'the upper balloon portion the decorated sideof the upper balloon portion will bulge to produce a grotesque andhumorous result. i

3. A toy comprising, in combination, a pair of air-inflated balloonportions connected through a reduced section permitting communication ofthe air within said balloon portions, air sealing compound lining theinner surface of said balloon portions whereby air may be retainedwithin the toy f or an indefinite period, decoration on one side of oneof said balloon portions, the rubber of said decorated balloon portionsubstantially opposite said connecting section being constricted byconstricting means, said c-onstricting means being sufficiently offsetfrom alignment with said connecting section toward the undecorated side,whereby said decorated side will bulge when the other balloon portion issqueezed.

et. A rubber doll toy comprising, in combination, a thin-walled rubbertube of substantially uniform thickness and havinc an opening at itsupper end, air sealing compound lining said tube to prevent leakage ofair out of the same, a sound device having a. reed disposed within saidtube intermediate the ends thereof, means surrounding said sound deviceto protect the reed thereof from contact with said air sealing compound,means constricting said tube about said sound device to form a pair ofupper and lower balloon portions communicating through said sounddevice, a band surrounding said constricting-means to conceal the saineand to form a collar for the doll, means constricting and closing theupper end of the upper balloon portion to simulate a countenance, thetube at the top of said upper balloon portion being drawn through saidconstricting means on the side of the countenance to a lesser extentthan on the opposite side, whereby when the fluid within the toy passesfrom the lower into the upper balloon portion to inflate the samefurther the countenance will bulge toproduce a grotesque and humorouseffect, and means covering said upper constricted porti-on to concealthe same and to provide a cap for the doll.

5. A toy comprising, in combination, a pair of inflated balloon portionsconnected through a reduced section permitting communication of thefluid within said balloon portions, air sealing compound lining theinner surfaces of said balloon portions to prevent leakage of air out ofsaid balloon, a sound device embodying a reed disposed within said toyadjacent said reduced section, and a shield associated with said sounddevice and preventing contact of said air sealing compound with saidreed.

6. A toy comprising, in combination, an inflated rubber tube constrictedto form a pair of communicating air chambers, the walls of said tubebeing lined with an air sealing compound containing flour and molasseswhereby to prevent leakage of air through the walls of said tube, asound device having a reed at one end thereof, disposed in the saidconstricted portion, a collar of paper-like material surrounding saidsound device and interposed between said sound device and said tube,said collar extending well beyond said reed whereby to prevent saidsealing compound from contacting with said reed.

7. An inflated elastic toy comprising in combination, a thin-walledrubber tube of substantially uniform thickness, said tube being formedto produce a pair of balloon portions connected through a reducedsection permitting communication of fluid within said balloon portions,means carried by one side of one of said balloon portions restrictingthe eX- pansion thereof m-ore than the other side thereof, whereby saidlatter side will have the greater expansible surface area so that uponpassage of additional fluid into said balloon portion, the side thereofhaving the greater expansible surface area will bulgedisproportionately.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

F RANK R. SHERMAN

